Boris and Merbow reveal details of Gensho, featuring two albums intended to be played simultaneouslyBoris and Merbow reveal details of Gensho, featuring two albums intended to be played simultaneously

It’s happened before, where I’ve been subject to the automatic playback features of YouTube and SoundCloud, and combined with the intentional music-listening through the media player installed on my computer, I never fail to enter a seconds-long state of offense or intrigue (depending on the music) before I realize what’s actually going on.

Boris and Merzbow are doing us a favor, then, not just by releasing another collaborative album (which on its own is another needless display of artistic altruism), but by giving us forewarning that the upcoming release is actually, technically, two albums meant to be played side-by-side — in other words, simultaneously, as previously reported! The 2xCD/4xLP release is called Gensho (“phenomenon” in Japanese), and for their half, Boris created percussion-less versions of “classic tracks” from their ridiculously content-filled discography. Merzbow’s Masami Akita, meanwhile, took it upon himself to be entirely novel with his presumed attempts to make our ears turn incontinent. Not sure if they make a pill for that yet.

Sure, Gensho is two distinct recordings (one from Boris, one from Merzbow) that are meant to be played alongside one another, but the artists involved have reportedly qualified, “Of course, you can enjoy both albums separately, as a separate work.” Gensho will be released March 18 via Relapse.